Andover Family Believes Cougar Killed Lab

[soldoncass]

No evidence to point to a car in the back yard where all the evidence was either, but a lot of people were convinced that was what did it. I have shot 4 deer with neck shots, and not 1 moved from the site. My ex co-worker broke his neck in a pool...he didn't move from the site on his own, either. To me that proves ,beyond ANY doubt, that whatever happened was in the backyard, where the dog AND blood evidence was... no car tracks?...was NOT a car.

Process of elimination says, bear or cougar, could have been responsible. A bear/ dog fight is noisy(videos only), but a cougar....secretive, agressive, quick, silent attacks. A dog with a good nose (Lab) , when they smell something new, will follow it with nose on the ground( don't bark). A cat (any size) will crouch and hide. If surprised, by a single, quiet dog protecting it's turf will..........? Maybe a cougar hunter can answer that better. My impression of that is: they use baying hounds in packs...so they DON"T surprise the hunted cat. (too dangerous for a single dog) Right OR wrong impression?????

[Dave S]

I have shot 4 deer with neck shots, and not 1 moved from the site.

I've actually seen them run a couple miles after this. It was a day I'll never forget.

[soldoncass]

I bet you didn't break the neck......a muscle wound does nothing. Lab had a "broken neck" ....no way it moved after the neck was broken.

[Dave S]

I didn't take part in the field dressing but the way he came after me while we were tracking him later that evening, there's no way his neck was broke. Based on shot placement, I'm surprised we didn't atleast hit a jugular.

We decided it was best to leave him be until the following morning. We did manage to find him the following morning, still warm.

[BobT]

If it's a wild cat, chances are it was just wandering through and probably won't be seen in the area again. If it's an escaped or released captive cat, there might be more cause for concern because it won't be as interested to get away from the human domain. In fact, it might want to remain in the area and like any house cat, they can very quickly revert to hunting for survival.

[Surface Tension]

The odds went up a lot.

soldoncass, I've neck shot deer and broke their neck too. I know I broke their neck only because they dropped on their tracks and were dead instantly.

This dog did not die instantly.

The "broken neck" was an observation by the dogs owner. How do they know this?

Does all this matter, the dog is dead? I only replied to this thread because it bothered me. Didn't want to sound cold but here you go. Someone allows their dog to run unsupervised and then is surprised when the dog mysteriously ends up dead.

Car, Cougar, or Bigfoot we don't know because.......

[Knight-Hunter]

Given the Champlin and Vadnais Heights cougar sightings, it's entirely possible that this dog was killed by a cougar. Stranger things have happened. Now, whether or not it's a wild cougar or a released/escaped "pet" is yet to be determined. Not that that would matter much, especially if it took out someone's kid. I'm also not saying we should start a witch hunt for mountain lions, either.

http://www.am1500.com/link/Cougar_in_Champlin

[soldoncass]

ST,

There certainly are more questions than definitive answers: CSI wasn't there to look for ALL evidence ,so I "analize" based on "available evidence" presented. It's a curse.... , I know. It's been interesting to read everybodies opinions: some deny the possibility of cougars in the area, so jump into "a car did it" argument(no evidence to support that, except that a car causes damage to a dog when it hits one). Some believe a cougar or bear is "possible" in the area, so are more open to that option.(I lean toward that)

I realize a gunshot to a deers neck is different , because of the shock factor, but my point was "IF" the neck was broken as reported, he did not move from the site. My ex co-worker didn't move from the site, and he didn't die "instantly. He is paralyzed, but alive....so that "evidence" reported about the dog, not dying instantly ,is NOT a problem for me.

Another thing NOT reported was do they have an underground fence, to keep their dogs contained in the yard? I understand your "frustration", related to their "supervision" (or lack of),of the dog, but I wonder how many people really DO watch their dogs "every minute"?

This will be my last post on this thread, but I do feel for their loss, and wish them the best with the pup. Seemed kind of a quick replacement....maybe they........never mind